Of the total number of respondents, the share of men is 54.7%, and the share of women is 45.3%. Considering the age structure of the respondents, the largest share of visitors is under 25 years old (21.3%), followed by 25-34 years old (19.7%) and between 35-44 years old (19.0%), while the smallest share of participants is over 65 years old.

Satisfaction with sustainability measures related to the protection of nature and animals was expressed by the participants in the highest percentage as extremely satisfied (42.5%), with an increase compared to 2024 (39.5%). At the same time, the share of respondents who were completely dissatisfied decreased, from 6.9% to 4.8%. This is certainly confirmation of the good direction of preserving the natural values ​​of the national park, which is also recognized by visitors.

In the survey results, no significant differences were observed between 2024 and 2025 in the shares of extremely satisfied visitors with the sustainability measures of drinking water and energy consumption, the presence of local products, and human health and safety, and all three measures are characterized by a decrease in the share of completely dissatisfied visitors.

A slight increase in the share of extremely satisfied visitors with measures for waste disposal and/or separation, and a decrease in the share of completely dissatisfied visitors, was observed for 2025 compared to 2024.

A slight decrease in the share of respondents who are extremely satisfied with the sustainability measure of using biodegradable packaging was observed for 2025 compared to 2024, however, the share of those who are satisfied and neutral increased. Visitors recognized this measure of sustainability and the share of respondents who are completely dissatisfied decreased in 2025.

Last year, visitors recognized and expressed their satisfaction with getting to know local traditions (dance, song, customs) as exceptional, and the share increased from 15.5% to 17.2%.

Surveys are still active in our visitor system and we certainly encourage our visitors to complete them because these satisfaction analyses help improve and work on increasing the quality of visiting our most beautiful national park.

Objava Satisfaction with sustainability measures during a visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park in 2025 pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Faster and easier ticket purchase

In March 2025, ticket vending machines were installed at Entrances 1 and 2 of the national park. These devices enable faster and easier on-site purchase of admission tickets for the same day or the following day, while relieving ticket offices and reducing queues at the entrances. The initiative has been very positively received. In the future, we also plan to enable the collection of group tickets, allowing digitalisation to deliver faster service, greater flexibility and more efficient management of large visitor numbers.

Flexible Visit Planning for an Additional Web Shop Fee

Given the number of enquiries from visitors wishing to change or cancel their visit date at short notice, from July 2025 park visitors have been offered the option to purchase tickets with the flexibility to change or cancel the selected date for an additional fee of €5.00. This provides visitors with greater peace of mind should their travel circumstances change.

Introduction of Specialised Cameras for Counting Park Exits

For several years, various system upgrades and measures have been implemented to reduce the pressure of high visitor numbers on the park’s lake area. As this is an ongoing process, new opportunities for improvement continue to emerge over time. New specialised cameras, fully compliant with GDPR requirements, will be used to count visitor exits from the park. This will allow for more accurate monitoring of visitor numbers within the system, timely opening and closing of additional time slots, an improved visitor experience, and a partial reduction in pressure on nature and the environment.

A Visit Adapted for People with Hearing Impairments

The project “Nature for All in Sign Language”, which Plitvice Lakes National Park joined in 2024, was implemented during 2025 with the aim of improving access to information for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors. QR codes and video materials in Croatian and international sign language have been placed throughout the park in the form of stickers and integrated into the park’s mobile application.

Improved Mobile Park Application

During 2025, the existing Plitvice Lakes National Park mobile application was upgraded, enabling visitors to purchase park tickets directly. The content has been expanded, and the application now allows users to stay informed about all important notifications.

Fast Mobile Phone Charging Stations

As the need to recharge mobile phones has become increasingly common, Plitvice Lakes National Park has responded by installing fast charging stations for mobile phones. These 35 W charging stations were installed at the end of 2025 at two locations: the information office at Entrance 1 and the auxiliary Entrance 2 – Flora. Each station offers 16 secure compartments with easy access via a personal code, and the service is free of charge for all visitors.

A New Generation of Electric Boats Is Coming

In response to visitor suggestions to increase the number of boats and reduce waiting times at boat piers within the park, all necessary documentation to expand fleet capacity was secured during 2025. Three modern electric-powered boats, equipped with solar panels on their roofs, are currently under construction, with the aim of maximising the use of clean energy and reducing environmental impact.

Installation of Air Conditioning Units at Hotel Jezero

In 2025, modern air conditioning units were installed in the rooms of Hotel Jezero, the largest hotel within Plitvice Lakes National Park, to ensure a more comfortable stay for guests. Although the hotel is located in the greenery of the national park and only a five-minute walk from Lake Kozjak, the largest Plitvice lake, the need for air conditioning has increased over time due to summer heat and year-round temperature fluctuations. We believe that many guests of Hotel Jezero will welcome this improvement during their next stay.

Culinary Training at the Kul In Culinary Institute

In March 2025, chefs from various catering facilities within Plitvice Lakes National Park attended culinary training at the Kul In Culinary Institute. As the oldest private culinary school in the region, the institute has received numerous awards and cooperates with more than 60 restaurants and hotels from over 50 countries. Participants had the opportunity to refine their culinary techniques in the preparation of à la carte dishes and to exchange experience with leading professionals in the field. This training directly contributes to higher-quality dishes and greater guest satisfaction with the park’s gastronomic offer.

Visitor surveys continued throughout 2025, providing ongoing insight and reminding us that improvement is always possible. As we continue to monitor feedback from our visitors, we look forward to new results and hope that the improvements implemented will contribute to an even more enjoyable visitor experience in the coming year.

Objava Improvements in 2025 based on visitor feedback pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Awards are granted by Green Destinations, a global non-profit organization established in the Netherlands, which has for many years been supporting sustainable development of destinations and tourism stakeholders, as well as encouraging good practices aimed at dealing with challenges posed by sustainable tourism. With over 600 destinations included in various Green Destinations programs and more than 160 certified and award-winning destinations in over 60 countries, the organization promotes the visibility of green destinations in the global tourism market.

THE PATH TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

This award is an important step on the path toward sustainability, but it also serves as a key milestone for the public institution, confirming that we are heading in the right direction regarding nature conservation, management, social welfare, environment and climate, cultural heritage, business and communication. Our vision was clearly defined by the Green Destinations silver award in 2023, and this year’s golden award confirms that we are on the right path.

Given that the national park had previously been granted the Green Destinations award, after two years the renewal, or recertification, process followed, which started this year in April. On that occasion, the recertification expert team (Maja Vurnek, Zrinka Nenadić and Kristina Sigurnjak) collected documentation and described individual criteria that needed to be clarified, or harmonized, after the first audit. About 50 criteria were covered in the first phase, with another 34 criteria additionally clarified in 5 categories after the evaluator reviewed the documentation and visited the national park. Plitvice Lakes National Park was awarded the maximum score in the “Nature & Scenery” and “Culture & Tradition” categories.  This entire journey ultimately confirmed the attractiveness, quality, and investment in the sustainability of the largest and oldest national park in Croatia, allowing us to improve from the silver to the gold award!

GREEN DESTINATIONS CONFERENCE

 At the two-day conference, we had the opportunity to hear leading lecturers on the following topics:

• Destination management – toward successful sustainable tourism,
• Cultural heritage and tourism that strengthens and connects communities,
• Strategies, tools and activities for achieving climate resilience,
• Certificates (EcoLabel and regional cooperation in tourism),
• Innovations,
• Digital transformation,
• Decarbonization,
• Regenerative tourism through partnerships and social welfare.
  
  

The diversity of topics provided numerous opportunities for exploring sustainable solutions, exchanging best practices and connecting with various destinations from around the world (more than 300 participants), including Croatian representatives from tourist boards, counties, development agencies, Tourism Lab, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Objava Plitvice Lakes National Park honored with Golden Green Destinations Award pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Here, we present the results related to sustainability:

The most positively rated measure is “Protection of Nature and Animals“, with the highest number of respondents being extremely satisfied (217) and satisfied (173). This indicates that visitors highly value the efforts invested in preserving the natural beauty of Plitvice Lakes National Park.

“Health and Safety of People” also received a high percentage of positive ratings, with 189 visitors satisfied and 148 extremely satisfied. These results suggest that visitors recognize and appreciate the measures taken to ensure a safe experience in the Park, which is essential for fully enjoying nature without any obstacles.

The highest number of neutral responses was recorded for “Getting to Know Local Traditions” (178 respondents), which may suggest a lower level of visitor engagement with this aspect of the experience. Since elements of tradition—such as dance, music, and customs—are not part of the Park’s regular offerings, some visitors may not have had the opportunity to actively participate in such activities. This presents an opportunity for improvement by introducing new, permanent ways to showcase traditional elements.

The highest proportion of dissatisfied and completely dissatisfied responses was recorded for “Opportunities for Waste Disposal and/or Separation” and “Use of Biodegradable Packaging.” These results highlight the need for better education of visitors about the reasoning behind placing trash bins only at specific locations, as well as introduction of additional environmental initiatives for sustainable waste management within the Park. Strengthening these efforts would help meet increasingly stringent environmental standards and rising visitor expectations.

Objava Results of the Survey on Satisfaction with sustainability measures in Plitvice Lakes National Park 2024 pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

“ZelEn” is a unique, ecological, modern and trusted product which guarantees that all the energy received through the “ZelEn” product is obtained exclusively from renewable sources, and the use of the trademark “ZelEn – Friend of nature” adds additional value to this story.

Objava USE OF ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES – ZelEn certificate for 2024 pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The brochure on sustainable practices that we are presenting for the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the wider area is aimed at promoting sustainability in our area and is intended for the local population and all tourism workers who in any way carry out tourism activities in their community.

As a Public Institution and the holder of the Green Destinations silver award for sustainability, we strive to encourage the local community and the wider area to implement responsible practices, which is also the main reason for creating this short brochure.

Therefore, these few pages cover environmental topics such as packaging and waste, food waste, drinking water and wastewater, renewable energy sources, light pollution and noise. They also touch upon social topics that include a brief look at local suppliers and products and respect for human rights, and we also highlighted the procedures for certifying sustainable practices and the possibility of acquiring various certificates.

In addition to encouraging messages on the above topics, and we hope you will recognize yourself in some of them and apply them, we also presented several facts about global, European or national circumstances and situations. Perhaps the provided information will encourage you to further explore the possibilities of making a much greater contribution to sustainability than what is covered in this brochure.

“Sustainable practices are important in raising the value of the protected area as well as the wider area with the aim of promoting a sustainable way of life for the local population and for strengthening tourism”.

Objava Sustainable practices in the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the wider area (for the local community and tourism workers) pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The main activity of the National Park is the protection, care and promotion of the National Park with the aim of protecting and preserving the integrity of nature, ensuring the undisturbed development of natural processes and the sustainable use of natural resources, which, together with other activities such as monitoring the condition and control of conditions and measures for nature conservation, contributes to the exceptional value of this area. For this reason, the environmental criteria related to the National Park should certainly include nature conservation, although according to the Green Destinations criteria there is a separate chapter on nature and landscape, in which we were awarded the highest score, and a chapter on environment and climate, in which adjustments are required for certain criteria.

The report also addresses the social criteria in the form of visits, educational activities, local products, etc. In short, everything that represents the national park’s focus on the community, both globally in the form of visits and locally in the form of scholarships, education and interpretation, local products and sporting activities.

The management criteria include a brief overview of financial sustainability and human resources based on 2023 data, as well as recommendations for sustainable management, a positive practice that encourages National Park staff to adopt sustainability in their workplace.

The path to sustainability and sustainable development according to the Sustainable Development Agenda is not easy and there are many sub-goals to be achieved by 2030, both at global and national level. However, all these individual sustainable practises and activities implemented in different sectors will certainly contribute to a positive direction and be an incentive for others to join this path.

Objava Sustainability Report of the Plitvice Lakes National Park pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

These exclusive additions not only provide our guests with a quiet spot to take a break, but also offer a convenient way to charge their mobile devices using sustainable solar power. The introduction of smart benches represents a significant step toward the modernisation of our services and ensures that the Park’s visitors have an absolutely outstanding experience.

Commitment to Sustainability and Meeting Visitor Needs

The incorporation of advanced solar panel technology allows such benches and tables to use solar power throughout the day. The said power is then used to power the charging stations, thereby reducing the consumption of conventional power and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Embracing renewable energy sources is the very foundation of our sustainable development mission.

Blend of Nature and Technology to Improve Visitor Experience

Apart from their practical benefits, smart benches and tables significantly improve the entire visitor experience within the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Namely, the guests are now able to relish the Park’s beauty without worrying about their phone battery percentage. This technological upgrade ensures an undisrupted connection with nature and enables the visitors to fully admire the splendour of the Park itself.

Objava Smart Solar Benches pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

At this year’s global Green Destinations Conference that was held 8–10 October in Tallinn (Estonia), the 2023 European Green Capital, the Plitvice Lakes National Park officially received the prestigious Green Destinations Silver Award for sustainability.

This important award is handed out by Green Destinations, a global non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands, that has for many years been enhancing the sustainable development of destinations and stakeholders in tourism, as well as promoting good practices tackling the challenges of sustainable tourism. The organisation is present in more than 90 countries, collaborates with over 500 destinations worldwide and promotes visibility of green destinations in the global tourism market.

Today, the topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant, but it is important to show what the destination is doing and which good practices it follows because that is what tourists look for nowadays when choosing a destination.

The Green Destinations certification process itself consists of 84 criteria covering 4 dimensions of sustainable development: social, environmental, economic and cultural. In Croatia, besides the Plitvice Lakes National Park, this process was successfully completed by Međimurje County and the town of Mali Lošinj. Existing responsible practices were reviewed, and the destinations were provided with a tool for monitoring and improvement over the next 2 years, after which they will be re-evaluated.

“The certification process following the Green Destinations model was long and required continuous monitoring as well as dedicated work by all stakeholders. I am extremely pleased that we completed it successfully and showed that by respecting and applying sustainability principles, together with excellent cooperation between all stakeholders, we could make our destination more responsible and more sustainable for us, but also for future generations”, said Tomislav Kovačević, General Manager of the Plitvice Lakes National Park Public Institution.

The two-day Green Destination Conference gathered a large number of world leading experts in the field of sustainability, and more than 260 delegates who had the opportunity to attend lectures and participate in workshops and discussion panels on climate change, collaborative sustainability efforts of the public and private sectors, national and regional perspectives, destination management, practical sustainability solutions for businesses in tourism, ways to communicate sustainability practices, planning sustainable events, digital transformation of tourism, and the significance of authentic destination experiences by fostering local culture and traditions.

Every day we are given the opportunity to do things better and think outside the box, address the vision of the local community and create local partnerships, promote regenerative tourism, offer an authentic experience to our guests, pass on knowledge on how to protect the natural and cultural values of the destination, and raise awareness of sustainability through everyday activities. There are many sustainability certificates that guests do not know much about, and that can only be justified through work and transparency.

Dr. sc. Maja Vurnek and Zrinka Nenadić accepted the award at the Green Destinations Conference dinner on behalf of the Plitvice Lakes National Park team responsible for the Green Destinations certification process.

The Green Destinations Silver Award is an acknowledgement of the hard work the Plitvice Lakes National Park has put into sustainability efforts, but also motivation to improve and develop new sustainable practices to be shared with all conscious travellers in collaboration with the Green Destinations organisation.

Objava Plitvice Lakes National Park becomes the first national park in Croatia to receive the Green Destinations certificate for sustainability pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".